This has been an outstanding season for family music. As kids' musical palettes have gotten more sophisticated, musicians have followed suit, with kid-friendly themes addressed in a wide array of musical styles.
Gunnar Madsen
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An album that moves through several musical genres, with a kid's natural sense of wonder at its core. Madsen, a founder of the a cappella group The Bobs, puts his keen ear for harmonies to good use.
Ralph's World
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Any kids' album that works in a reference to "Non-Euclidian" thinking is worth finding. Ralph's World mixes humanity with geometry in a song about all shapes and sizes living together.
Barenaked Ladies
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What's "quirky" in Barenakes Ladies' music for adults seems naturally childlike in the Canadian band's first CD for kids. An album that's literate and silly at the same time.
Justin Roberts
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The sweet-voiced kid brother you wish you had creates an imaginative collection of songs about real kids' experiences, with a focus on the whole family. "From Scratch" is about the source of Grandma's cooking.
Astrograss
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High-energy bluegrass and funny family fiddle tunes highlight this Brooklyn-based band's first foray into music for kids. A band of teachers who educate while remembering to have fun.
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